Bhola Nath Singh, the secretary general of Hockey India, has stated that no senior team player will be granted the number 16 jersey going ahead.
Hockey India made the decision on Wednesday to retire P R Sreejesh’s jersey number at the senior level. Sreejesh said goodbye to the sport after playing a major part in the nation’s bronze medal at the Olympics in Paris, which ended just now.The number 16 jersey will no longer be issued to senior team players, according to Hockey India secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, however it will still be available for youth players to wear.
He also revealed that the 36-year-old, who played for over 20 years, would become the junior national coach.
“We are retiring the No. 16 jersey for the senior team and Sreejesh will now coach the younger team. During a celebration honoring the veteran and other squad members, Singh declared, “We are not retiring No. 16 for the junior team.”
“Sreejesh dusra Sreejesh ko paida karega in junior team (Sreejesh will groom someone like him in the junior team who will wear the No.16 jersey),” he further stated.
In honor of the Keralan veteran, Sreejesh, the players who attended the ceremony donned matching red jerseys with his name on the back.
